Blinded by Flames
by Chapter Four Fanatics
Summary: Juu, Yusuke's latest mission requires the alliance of a queer teenage girl. She was only supposed to be a guide, but then again, things are never that simple, are they? pls rr!
1. The Toriyama Tournament

**A/n:** Just so y'all know two authors, Book Worm, and I, (V. Reed), are writing this fic. I have written the above chapter, and though it's not set in stone, Book Worm will probably write the next one. We'll be sure to tell you. **Disclaimer: We do not own YuYuHakusho.**

Dragon and Flames 

-Prologue-

"Erufu wins the round— Team Juu advances; Team Namu is out of the Tournament." A male voice boomed over the loudspeaker. Next to Kuwabara, Yusuke rolled his eyes.

"Again? How many times can one girl win, anyway?" 

"I dunno, that dragon-demon girl has won every battle for her team so far. Twelve straight… it's creepy." Kuwabara replied. 

The two humans were sitting on the floor of a grassy outside plain. A run-down concrete fighting ring sat before them and behind them a cracked and molding wall loomed, holding a handful of demons in the stands. The wall was circular, but small sections were missing every few feet. This pathetic excuse for a fighting stadium was where the Toriyama Tournament was held every two months. 

* Flashback *

_"The Toriyama Tournament? What's this all about Koenma?" _

_"It's a tournament, held every two months. Its main purpose is to satisfy fans of the Dark Tournament whenever it isn't taking place. It has never been as successful as it was originally intended and few come to the stadium. However, that doesn't mean the demons fighting in it are any less powerful, Yusuke." Koenma looked nervously over at the Spirit Detective, awaiting a response. He wasn't disappointed, the impatient teenager quickly rushed to ask another question._

_"Yeah, yeah, okay, but what is it you want done there?" _

_Koenma smiled, "It's relatively simple Yusuke. I want you to prevent a team, Team Juu to be precise, from winning, and bring their leader, Erufu, back to me. She's a very special, very rare dragon-demon-human-like**… thing."**_

_"Riiiight. 'Thing', huh? Okay then, where is this Toriyama Tournament held?"_

_"Literally in the middle of nowhere. It's a very old tournament ground … very run-down… Hiei and Kurama know where it is held. They'll take you. Oh, and Yusuke, this tournament requires teams of three. I suggest you take Kuwabara as a sub, I'll be needing Hiei once you capture this girl."_

_"Fine."_

* End Flashback *

Kuwabara yelled across the stadium to where Team Juu sat, "Hey! Why don't you send someone else to fight for a change? You guys scared or something?" 

One of the members of the team, a short dark figure wearing a cloak, snickered and murmured something to his teammates. Laughs followed. 

Kuwabara growled, but before he could call back over, Hiei interrupted, "Why are you complaining? You fool, if they keep playing her then she'll obviously be tired when _we _fight her. Not to mention, it gives us plenty of time to study her fighting skills."

"Yeah, but what about the rest of the team, huh? We're not gonna know anything about _them_."

"Hn. You explain to him Kurama. I'm not in the mood to teach kindergarten at the moment." Hiei turned and walked off to the side while Kurama stepped forward and said simply that the others weren't important, the girl was obviously the strongest… and not very strong even at that.

"Fine, whatever you guys say." Kuwabara returned gruffly to observing the three team members of Team Juu. 

There was the short one that had snickered earlier; he appeared even smaller than Hiei and more than likely was. "_He's a sound demon;" _Hiei had commented before the fighting began; "_he controls everything about sound from volume to sound frequency to pitch. If he wanted any of you could start clucking like a chicken or wailing at a higher pitch then a banshee, there'd be nothing to stop him. He's short and thin as part of his sound ability: traveling at the speed of sound." _Other than his height was the uncanny way his eyes continued to shift from beneath the cloak. They were large, but the pupils were small, so you couldn't tell the difference between his narrow eyes and a boiled egg. His entire face was hidden beneath the black cloak that was draped over his small and seemingly frail body, but whenever light shined for a brief moment into his face, Kuwabara caught a glimpse of swamp green. His name was appropriate: Mach.

The second member of Team Juu was in every way different from the sound demon. He was a bright blue, with thin, pointy ears that wiggled every time he moved his head. Unlike his teammate, he wore little clothing, enough to cover himself in the cold weather that morning, but only just enough. According to Hiei and Kurama this blue creature's name was Beri and he was a demon who had trained himself in the art of illusion. 

Team Juu's sub sat on a rock behind Beri. Kuwabara rarely caught a glimpse of her except when Beri moved to the side or leaned over to listen to Mach. Whenever he could see her, all that was there to be seen was a sage-green humanoid with cat ears, eyes, and tail. "_Felice, only a demon in-training. She's just there to take up space. Don't worry about her."_

The final member was of course, the dragon-like demon Erufu. 

She could have passed for a normal girl, were it not for her dragon-like qualities. She had a human face (though it was accompanied by two horns protruding from the skull). Flashing blood-red dragon scales covered her body. Her claw-like nails gleamed dangerously, as did the two vampire-like fangs that flashed in Kuwabara's eyes whenever she smiled. Her eyes were like gold under a charm to constantly shine and bedazzle those who dared to look at them, however, she seemed to be attempting to hide the jewel-eyes and kept her eye-lids nearly closed, giving her a lazy and yet dangerous look, though if you looked closely you could see them flicking from place to place, taking everything in. She had fiery hair that sometimes made Kuwabara swear someone had ignited a fire on her head… only to realize it was truly only a fantastic and frightening orange. She wore light, baggy crimson pants and a black sash, and a sleeveless shirt of the same design. She had an extremely mobile tail that served her well in battle, grabbing an opponent while they focused on her fists and feet. Pressed tight against her back were her leathery wings, which she had yet to do much with. The only reason Kuwabara knew they existed was because the dragon would occasionally stretch them to their full nine foot span. She attacked her opponents quickly and fiercely, rarely waiting for them to make the first move. She really seemed to enjoy fighting.

Next to him, Yusuke snorted, "You gonna stop staring at them or what, Kuwabara? Honestly, I thought you liked Yukina…"

The red-head fumed, "Of course I do! I was only checking them out!"

"Yeah well, it's drawing attention from the other teams, so stop it, 'kay?" 

Kuwabara grumbled and looked away. Behind the two humans, Kurama removed his eyes from the battle in front of them to the battle chart at the right side of the stadium.

"It appears that we should prepare to fight Team Juu, it is only a matter of moments now,"

"What are you talking about? The team fighting now is probably gonna take at least another hour to finish up…" At the precise moment at which Kuwabara uttered these words and yellow-skinned demon flew out of the ring and was knocked-out on impact by the rotting stadium wall. 

"You were saying?" Hiei snickered and Kurama gave a small chuckle as the announcement came over the loudspeaker, "Rayne wins the round – Team Icarus advances; Team Rokaan is out of the Tournament."

Moments following the short and dark Mach jeered at his teammate, Erufu, "Don't screw up now! The Ten will surely be furious if you do, and that'll be all your fault you elf-witch!" The dragon-demon only glared at him and barred her fangs. 

"Her teammates don't seem to be too fond of her, wouldn't you say?" Yusuke glanced wearily at his own teammates who nodded. 

"It's odd," Kurama spoke as though an after-thought to Yusuke. 

Erufu didn't seem to take much notice to Mach. Stepping into the ring, her few wounds (some inflicted by her own team mates) didn't seem to hinder her fighting spirit any and she stared furiously at Team Urameshi, clearly awaiting her next opponent. 

"Well, which one of us should go?" Hiei asked around. 

Yusuke shrugged, "Hey, I took care of the bat-freak and the guy with the crazy eyes," he named his opponents in his first round battle, "and Kurama nailed the third one, what was he again?" Yusuke asked Kurama the nature of the final fighter. 

"Jaiyde, he was the one with all the poisons, remember?"

"Oh yeah, right. Well in any case, it's you next Hiei," 

"Fun," 

"Team Urameshi, will you please present yourself a fighter for Team Juu?" The announcer broke in.

"I'm fighting," Hiei stepped forward and gingerly jumped into the ring. 

"For Team Juu: Erufu; for Team Urameshi: Hiei. Let the fighting commence… now!"

Hiei pulled out his sword and began to swipe at the dragon, but instead a horde of flames erupted from her mouth and dodged away, leaving Hiei with a slightly scorched sword hand. Nothing that wouldn't heal in time, but for the time being, Hiei slid the sword back into its place at his side. 

Glancing at the dragon-demon Hiei saw her chest heaving heavily. He smirked. _She's too worn out from the previous battles, that little bit of dodging has got her on her end. I'll just wear her down. _He came at her with an arm pulled back to punch, and watched as she moved her tired body to the side. He continued his simple pursuit of making her dodge and occasionally threw in a spirit blast or two. 

Feeling satisfied that he had tired the dragon enough, Hiei halted his attack and began gathering spirit energy in his hand. The dragon-demon recognized what he was doing and stood directly across the ring from him, a clear shot. 

Hiei released the blast and the dragon-demon stood her ground. Bracing herself for the impact, the spirit blast hit her full force and exploded upon her hard dragon scales. 

After the musty smoke cleared, it revealed Erufu covered in ashes, but unharmed. _Her scales are protecting her, _Hiei thought quickly, _the Dark Dragon technique would work, but I don't need to kill her, only knock her out. _He resolved in the end that her strength was too much to just throw her out, and the choice came in the end to use a small Dark Dragon blast to knock her unconscious. 

Summoning the energy in his hand, the dragon-demon seemed unaware of what was going on. She obviously thought that Hiei was only going to throw the same attack, because she took the opportunity to rest and braced herself for the upcoming blast. When the black flames finally erupted from Hiei's arm, she stood ready, unaware what was about to happen next.

A shocked look came across the dragon-demon's face as she collapsed in pain. Hiei glimpsed a flash of black and realized with a shock that Mach had attacked his own teammate. In her vulnerable state even this small blast would kill her.

The attack that _should _have killed her days indeed did not. Instead, they consumed her dragon form and raised her high above the ring. Eyes from all across the stadium followed her movement, most with interest, but Hiei and Team Urameshi with disbelief. 

The black flames raged and circled the dragon-demon, before splitting… and splitting the dragon-demon along with the flames. The darkness of the fire prevented anyone from seeing what had been done to the demon until at last… they disappeared and two figures fell from the sky. 

Hitting the ring floor first was a girl. A human girl. Her hair was red like the dragon-demon creature she had been apart of before, but it was slightly less fiery. Her completely closed eyes were large and wide, unlike the creature Erufu. The members of Team Juu were the only ones that did not seem suprised at the discovery of the human. However, the figure that fell soon after the human… shocked them all.

It was a dragon… not a part human dragon… a dragon. The great burgundy lizard very closely resembled it's European depictions. Glancing at the two beings laying on the stadium floor, you could pick out features of each that when placed together would create the dragon-demon Erufu Hiei had been fighting earlier.

Hiei stared down at them, "What in the—?"

The girl opened her eye's to reveal dazzling sapphire, hard as stone. She stood and glared at her team. The dragon stood as well, turning its golden eyes to Team Juu.

"That's it!" the girl growled. "I've had it!"

With that, the dragon let out a roar and attacked. The girl watched unflinching as her team was torn to bits.

Thoroughly confused, Team Urameshi could only stare in shock. Hiei then noticed his Dark Dragon reforming from the dispersed flame. The Dragon attacked the girl, striking her eyes. With a cry she fell to the ground, clutching her burning eyes. Immediately her dragon was at her side, bellowing flames as it destroyed the Dark Dragon.

Snapping out of his shock, Hiei started towards the girl, who was still clutching her eyes, moaning. Before he could get within a couple of yards of her, her dragon's enormous tail came sweeping around, sending Hiei into a wall. Gathering up the girl in its claws, the dragon beat its powerful wings and launched itself into the sky, quickly escaping sight. Team Urameshi could only stare after the retreating figure.

----

(If you want, see out bio for the meaning of the names used in the prologue and then wait for the next few chapters and find out their meanings. There are hints here, but I doubt you'll figure them out.)

Well, adios! 

V. Reed


	2. A Forest to be Reckoned With

**Dragon and Flames**

--Chapter One: A Forest to Be Reckoned With--

6 months later:

            A haunting melody wove its way through the trees of the Living Forest, lonely and forlorn. Many of the forest creatures stopped their morning activities and listened, wondering if whatever was making the noise was edible. The source of the music was at the very edge of the forest, in a tree, on a branch about thirty feet off the ground. The song stopped as the flutist sensed a group of people approaching her tree. Putting away her flute, the girl listened closely to the exchange going on below.

            "I can't believe the best guide you could find is a kid my age! Why do we even need a guide anyway?"

Young male. Hotheaded.

"The Living Forest is deadly Yusuke! I realize you've gone up against a lot of things, but this is different. This forest could eat you alive! Even if you did manage to find your way to your destination, you'd be in no shape to fight The Ten's men!"

Young female. Must be Koenma's messenger, Botan.

"Whatever. Where is this guide, anyway?"

Taking her cue, the girl swung herself off her branch, landing easily on her feet before the group. She was about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, wearing worn, baggy jeans, an olive green t-shirt, beat-up fingerless leather gloves, and worn sneakers, as well as a bronze coin with a Medieval European dragon embossed on it on a leather cord around her neck. Her copper hair, streaked with stripes of orange-red went slightly past her shoulders, her grown out bangs several shades lighter than the rest of her hair. She also wore a leather belt that held several pouches and a wicked-looking dagger at her hip.

"Uh, guys, did she just jump from that branch thirty feet in the air?"

The girl turned towards the new male voice. He seemed to be slightly taller than her, and more heavy-set, but that was all she could determine.

"Alright everybody, this is Rahn. She'll be guiding you through the Living Forest!" Botan declared.

"Wait, aren't you coming?" the boy Rahn determined to be Yusuke asked.

"Sorry Yusuke, I've got some things to take care of. I'll have to meet you there."

Yusuke seemed to be about Rahn's height. She turned towards the other two presences she sensed. One was her height as well, but the other was at least a head shorter. He gave off a larger "scent" than the others. His Spirit Energy probably dealt with fire.

"So just how long have you been living in this overgrown park, anyway?" Yusuke grumbled.

"Nearly six months." Rahn replied.

"WHAT? You've only been here six months and we're supposed to trust you with our lives?"

"Yusuke, it's something to brag about if you last a week in this forest! Living here for six months is unheard of!"

"Hey, uh, what's the matter with your eyes?" the boy that was taller than her asked.

"What?" Yusuke broke off his argument with Botan to stare at Rahn's clouded eyes.

The girl rolled them as Yusuke burst into another tirade.

"Gee Botan, that's reassuring. Our guide through one of the most dangerous places in existence is BLIND! Wha-"

Rahn stopped listening to the boy as she sensed something creeping up on them. She drew her dagger, not failing to notice the two behind her tense up. 

"Duck."

"Wha?"

Rahn flung her dagger. Yusuke barely managed to duck in time as it struck the tree behind him.

"WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?!"

Ignoring him, Rahn walked over to the tree and yanked her dagger out, grabbing the creature she had pinned, still in its death throes. It seemed to be one large mouth, full of razor sharp teeth.

"Uh…"

Rahn threw the dead beast into some nearby bushes. Taking a cloth out of one of her pouches, she cleaned her weapon and sheathed it. 

"You sure you can't see?"

"Positive." Sensing heat wasn't the same as seeing.

Yusuke sighed. Rahn guessed that Botan was giving him a look that said, "See?"

"Okay. Fine. We'll let you lead us through the forest."

"GREAT! Alright, introductions!" Botan stated. "You've met Yusuke. This is Kuwabara!"

"Nice to meet you," the boy that was taller than her said.

"That's Kurama…" Rahn sensed Botan pointing.

The other boy Rahn's height stepped up. "Hello."

"And this is Hiei!"

"Hn." The short boy said.

"Well, I'll see you guys later! Have fun and try not to get killed!"

_That girl is WAY too cheerful,_ Rahn thought.

"Well, come on." she growled. She felt edgy out in the open.

The four boys followed her into the forest, not a little apprehensively. Rahn started off directly into the heart of it, kicking a red-eyed, rabid-looking weasel away from Yusuke. 

"So," Kuwabara said, attempting to start a conversation, "what is it in here that made you blind?"

"I was blind before I came here."

"Oh. So you've always been blind?"

"No."

"How long have you been blind?"

"Six months."

"Where's you're family?"

"Not here."

"Why aren't you with them?"

"Why should I be?" Her clouded eyes shot Kuwabara a look and he nervously stepped back a few feet.

"Why would a blind person come live in a forest like this?" Yusuke grumbled, trying to ignore the hungry looks some birds were giving him.

"Why not?" Rahn replied, swatting them away.

Kurama entered the conversation here.

"You're parents are probably worried for you. You should contact them."

"I don't much hold with séances."

That ended the conversation.

"Hey, Urameshi, you must be pretty tasty!" Kuwabara laughed.

"Huh?" Yusuke looked down to find a caterpillar latched on to his arm. "Wha!" he cried, shaking it off.

The caterpillar hit the ground and growled, baring dagger-like teeth. It started glowing, and metamorphosed into a foot long moth with even bigger teeth. Rahn rolled her eyes and stomped the spot of warmth that was the creature. 

"Smaller things always get bigger." she informed Yusuke.

"That's nice to know,"

"Yes," she nodded curtly, "it is."

-- --- -- ---- - -- 

            It was midday and the sun was beating through the forest branches at the group of five, torturing them in scorching heat. The trees trapped the heat below and Yusuke more than once cursed the greenhouse effect. 

            A few miles further into the forest, the group met another creature, this one much bigger than a moth. 

"Humansssss," the humanoid lizard hissed, "I have not tassssssted human for ssssssssome time now!"

"Oh, great!" Yusuke moaned. "Alright, which one of us is gonna fight this guy?"

"I will!" Kuwabara volunteered.

"Think you can handle it?" Hiei sneered.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

"Exactly what it sounds like," 

To this, Kuwabara let loose a growl and Rahn sighed as she realized Yusuke wasn't the only loudmouth in their merry little band. 

"Can we go now?" she asked, interrupting the heated quarrel.

"Huh?" Kuwabara turned to see the lizard laying on the ground, dead, the wound in its chest still bleeding. Rahn had already retrieved her dagger. "Oh, uh, okay."

-- --- -- ---- - --

Yusuke was in the process of swatting away the newly awakened fireflies who continued to berate him.

"What are these things after anyway? I thought fireflies were _scared_ of humans!"

Rahn turned around and glanced at the insects swarming around the Spirit Detective. "They're after your blood of course." Receiving a questionable look from Yusuke (she couldn't see it, but she knew he was giving it) she added casually, "They're blood-sucking fireflies." 

To this, Kuwabara shrieked, he had been holding several fireflies hostage in his palm.

After the firefly crisis, the walk was relatively quiet with only occasional questions transpiring over the expedition. One such from Kuwabara:

            "So how exactly are we gonna defeat The Ten by wandering around in a forest, anyway, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked that evening.

"They're hiding out in the middle of this place." Yusuke replied. Then, looking to the sky he directed his voice towards their guide, "Hey Rahn? Speaking of the The Ten…"

"Yeah, what of them?" She glared and growled fiercer then Yusuke had heard her before. 

"Except for _our _mission, Koenma was vague. But he mentioned that you weren't opposed to helping us fight them…" He leaned forward a bit to catch her expression at his words, "any reason for that?"

"For what? Murderers, thieves, liars, and men consumed by money… anything wrong with wanting to rid the world of _them?_" She growled and then lashed out, "Do I _have _to have a reason Urameshi? Or can I just help without you delving into matters of mine that don't concern you—" 

"Okay, okay! So you'd prefer not to tell us… that's all you had to say." Yusuke held up his hands and Rahn cooled off. _Shouldn't have let loose like that Rahn,_ she critiqued herself, _you need to control yourself, these boys don't know what you got yourself into a year and a half ago… no need to make them suspicious._

"Shouldn't we stop for the night?" Kuwabara nervously ventured to ask, aware that Rahn was angered easily.

            Rahn snorted, back to her usual self, "Whatever you boys feel the need for. Makes no difference to me."

They had reached a clearing. Rahn seemed weary of the idea of sleeping in the open, but consented when she heard Hiei and Kurama would help her keep an at-night guard. Rahn liked Kurama and Hiei much more than Yusuke and Kuwabara, they at least held some sense of respect for her and recognized the dangers of the forest much better than their human counter-parts. 

            Once settled, Yusuke and Kuwabara immediately started gathering firewood.

"Watch out." Rahn warned them.

"What? It's just a bunch of woo- OW!!" Yusuke yelled, throwing his wood down. "One of them BIT me!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Hiei told him.

"Oh yeah?" Yusuke retorted, holding up the stick in question, which was growling and baring its teeth. "Look at this!"

"Carnivorous sticks?" Kurama inquired.

Rahn shrugged. "They don't call this the Living Forest for nothing."

"Well that's just great! How are we going to make a fire?" Yusuke complained.

            "You can still burn them. But if you do, make sure there isn't a lot of wood lice," Rahn replied.

            "Wood lice? Why? What on earth can be wrong with wood lice?" Yusuke then received a harsh glance from Rahn. "I don't wanna know what could be wrong with wood lice," 

            Rahn nodded at this comment and began examining the surrounding trees (A/n: We're assuming trees give off _some_ sort of heat). She found one she liked and preceded to climb up about twenty or so feet, until she found a good, sturdy branch large enough to be comfortable.

"By the way, Rahn, how long will it take us to get to where we're headed?" Yusuke inquired from below.

"Four or five days."

"WHAT?! To get through a _forest?!_"

"If you could keep up, we could be there in three!"

"What the heck are we gonna eat?"

Rahn sighed and flung her dagger at the flesh-eating pigeon she could sense just above Yusuke's head.

"What the?!!! Oh... Uh… thanks?"

"No problem."

Closing her eyes Rahn suddenly cried out, "Duck!" Immediately the four on the ground squatted to the floor as a flying fish swooped in from the sky. Rahn sighed, "Too bad I wasted putting my dagger down on that bird… fish are much tastier." 

Yusuke gave a look of disgust before plopping down and roasting the flesh-eating pigeon.

A/N: PLEASE review! PLEASE? We've got some cool ideas! We're already working on the second chapter! But we won't put it up if you don't review! (I don't usually resort to this, but this is the first time I haven't had at least ONE review for a story!)


	3. The Beckoning of the Elves

Dragon and Flames 

--The Beckoning of Elves—

Silently slipping off of her perch, Rahn double-checked her senses for signs of heat nearby and took off away from camp. Each of her four companions were sleeping soundly and she sighed, knowing she still had to put up with them for three more days… at least. 

Checking her belt she carefully examined the contents of each pouch. On both her left and right was straps to hold in her daggers, in between the two daggers hung three leather pouches containing herbs and medicines. Hanging in a long and thin leather instrument pouch behind her right dagger was her flute and piccolo. 

Reaching for her flute, she began creeping along a hidden path, obviously one she alone knew because there were no visible markers surrounding it. As one faint and eerie note seeped through the flute, she urged on another… and another… until she was playing a soft melody that began bleeding into the sounds of the morning forest. Closing her eyes and swaying lightly she almost slept-walked along her secret path to the top of a hill. 

Becoming aware of where she was, she opened her blind eyes but did not stop playing the flute even though her footsteps halted. Gathering in all she could feel below the hill she slowly marched down and came to a low, watery section of the forest beneath several damp trees. 

_Damp_ trees. They gave off less heat than the others did and the temporary relief from the bothersome heat made her sigh silently. With out the heat she was just as blind as any other blind girl, but still, it was nice to get away from those nagging feelings she felt from heat sources. Besides, hunting was easier in wet places, she could only sense her prey, and her surroundings didn't bother her in the water.

Letting the flute's music fade, she slowly put the instrument aside and in its' respectful pouch. Then, without a sound pulled a dagger from her left strap. In front of her was a lake, so covered with branches and leaves it could barely be seen…not that she could tell. She slowly began slinking toward the lake, clutching her dagger close to her side. Taking a deep breath, she sunk into the murky water and disappeared.

-- --- -- ---- - --

"What the—" Yusuke moaned, awakening from his sleep. 

"Quiet Yusuke," Hiei cut into the morning silence.

"Why?" Yusuke asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Because," he snapped, "Rahn's left and I don't want to draw any attention to ourselves while we still know very little about this forest."

The black-haired teenager rolled his eyes, "Rahn?" * yawn * "Why 's everyone so concerned with _Rahn_?" 

"Just be _quiet_! I though I heard something earlier," Hiei hissed. 

"Hiei, this is a _forest_. Of _course_ you're going to—"

"No, Yusuke," this time it was Kurama, "this sound was definitely human—or something like it." Kurama's eyes were closed and he was still lying down, feigning sleep. "Get down, maybe it'll show itself if it thinks we've gone to sleep again." 

Hiei and Yusuke obliged and no more than a few minutes went by until Yusuke hissed angrily at the two demons, "Hey, did it ever occur to either one of you that that _sound_ might just be Rahn?" 

"Well, if it is, it certainly won't hurt." 

"What? Kuwabara was up before me too?"

"SHH!" 

Growling, Yusuke quieted and listened intently. Every now and then there was a rustle of branches as a chipmunk (_Wonder what those chipmunks do… hope it's not as bad as those sticks…) _ran through the forest. Sometimes a bird called to its' mate… but there were certainly no unusual sounds, at least none that could sound human, and then—

_Pop!_ A brown stumpy little head that could very well have been a tree suddenly appeared in the bush beside Kurama. It made some squeaky noises, and motioned to some unknown creature behind them. The two creatures crept up behind Kurama and began to bind his hands and feet together. From his position on the ground next to Kurama, Yusuke could see a smirk spread across the red-haired fox demon. The stumpy creature too saw the smirk, but before he could do anything about it, Kurama had yanked the ropes and brought the ugly being down with him. 

"Yargh!" It squeaked and soon the clearing was surrounded by brown beings just like it. 

"It's the attack of the elves!" Kuwabara yelled. 

Sure enough, the creatures sure _looked like elves. Short and dark-colored, with pointy ears and large, round eyes. However, this observation made by Kuwabara only further angered the elves. They hopped up and down, raising dirt and clouding everyone's vision. Their high-pitched voices echoed and sounded something like, "No elf! No elf! No elf!"_

Coughing, Hiei growled at Kuwabara, "You imbecile! You've angered them!" 

"* cough * cough * How was I supposed * cough * to know?" 

The elves continued their angry chant and raised their pointy spears, slowly; they began tightening the circle around the four, closing in as if hunting prey. Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara prepared to defend if they decided to attack, and just when the elves raised their spears high over their heads—

"Gonf! You filthy creature! What are you doing?" The practical and apparently annoyed voice of Rahn floated over the mayhem and the elves stopped their rampage. The first elf, the one that had tried to bind Kurama turned angrily toward Rahn, who had a giant eel slung over her shoulder. 

"We were just going to take some food! We were only—" Gonf replied, and the group in the middle was surprised to find that he seemed to know Rahn.

"So you brought spears? Gonf, we've had this conversation before…" Rahn spoke to the elf as a mother would her child.

"I know, I know…" the elf bowed his head, "but he called us elves!" To this he pointed to Kuwabara and all the stumpy creatures in the circle nodded furiously. "Yes, yes, yes, yes," they squeaked.

Rahn raised an eyebrow; "Oh he did, did he?" She glared at Kuwabara; "there are no such things as elves. These are dead tree stumps, commonly mistaken as elves." 

"Tree stumps?" Yusuke said dully, "Is there anything around here that's _normal?"_

"Everything around here is normal!" the little "elf" called indignantly, "It's _you who's strange!"_

"Listen here you little runt," Yusuke raised his fist, "you better stuff that stick of yours away and go run home to you mommy because I don't wanna hear any of this 'humans deserve hell' crap from a molding midget who looks like he's been run-over by a car one too many times, understood?" 

"Yusuke," Rahn growled, "let me handle this,"

"No Rahn! I'm fed up with this stupid forest and everything in it!"

"Yusuke…"

"Just shut up! Look, we can handle this. We're the most powerful beings in the Spirit World. A little forest isn't a problem. We're gonna take out these ridiculous looking elves and then we're heading over to the Ten's mansion and ending this thing once and for all. Got it?" 

Rahn just stood there, blankly looking at the revolting Spirit Detective with mild interest.  Kurama noticed her right hand trembling slightly.

Her facial features barely moved as she replied coolly back, "Alright Yusuke. Let's see how you hold up on your own out here. Gonf: continue."

The "elf" smiled greedily and motioned for his crew of elves to move in around the band.

"Nice going Urameshi," 

"Just use your sword and shut up Kuwabara."

"Hmph, fine, but it's your fault if Koenma gets mad."

"Sure it is, let's just get outta here."

All four stood up, each brandishing their own weapon of choice, Hiei his sword, Kurama a red rose, Kuwabara his sword and Yusuke his finger. (A/n: Pick a finger, any finger. The meanings are endless. O_o) 

The primitive elves stood no chance as they swarm in to attack with their pathetically weak spears and high-pitched voices ringing, but somehow, before any of the four fighters had a chance to use their weapons on the stumpy creatures, a vine wrangled together Hiei and Kuwabara's swords along with both Yusuke's arms and a dagger sliced through Kurama's rose. The gang looked perplexity at Rahn who replied coyly, "In this forest if you're not for you're against. Anything not on my side threatens me, and I don't take being threatened very well." 

The four looked at her in stunned silence as they were roped up by the elves and strangled onto the largest of the kinds' backs. The group of elves arranged itself into a type of caravan and began to march into the forest.

The group squirmed, trying to break free but the ropes were tight and anytime a knot so much as budged an inch, Rahn left her position at the back of the line and came to tighten it back up. Even Hiei and Kurama were unable to escape the clutches of the short creatures. Eventually, Kurama suggested holding their energy for a time when the elves were off guard. They all agreed even as Gonf snorted and said they were never off-guard. 

They marched on and on and after an hour of being hauled through a forest by two creatures half his size, Kuwabara began to complain of headaches. 

"It's all Rahn's fault! She cheated! She didn't tell us she would help them!" 

"Cheat?" She replied skeptically, "there are no rules in the Living Forest, and therefore it's impossible for me to 'cheat'." 

"Oh stop it with the forest crap, we've heard enough of it already! Just get us out of here, okay?"

"No."

"Why not?" Yusuke growled back.

"You betrayed me—"

"We didn't betray you!"

"You didn't trust me, and as your hired guide I consider that betrayal." 

"She has a point Yusuke," Kurama reasoned, "you did not trust her to handle the situation."

"Oh shut up, Kurama. And you Rahn— just get us out of here!" 

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Are you noticing a pattern, Yusuke, or are you really just that thick? I said 'no'." 

"Well, then what do we have to do in order for you to get us out?" 

"Apologize."

"In your dreams!"

"I'll take that as a 'I'll think about it'. Because, frankly Yusuke, once we arrive at Gonf's camp, you will have plenty of time to think about it before dinner."

"Excuse me?" Rahn only smiled in response and nodded her head to the front of the line where the caravan of elves was approaching a clearing with a large pit in the middle. The pit was lined with rocks and held a large pile of wood. Plump elf-wives were scurrying around with sticks to add to the small fire that was just beginning to kindle. 

A pile of construction sat on either side of the fire pit once their escorts had tied them up to four trees, Yusuke and the others watched as the construction was hoisted over the pit and became four roasting poles.

"They're going to eat us for dinner?!"

"Breakfast actually, but you're not that far off,"

"Oh excuse me for mistaking which meal we were to be!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "Because it really makes a difference to me!"

"It should," Rahn fell against the tree across from the gang to keep watch on them, "because it gives you that much more time for your 'leader' Urameshi to apologize and admit he was wrong and say he will never go against my word again."

"Urameshi! You had better—"

"Don't even say it Kuwabara. I'm not doing anything." At this, he glared defiantly at Rahn. The guide's response was a mere shrug.

"Have it your way."

"I will, thanks," he replied cockily, "besides, how do you think Koenma will take this, huh?"

"Koenma?" Rahn choked.

"That's right Miss High-n-Mighty… Koenma."

She "stared" blankly at Yusuke before breaking into laughs, "Koenma! That's the best he's got!" 

She continued to cackle until she finally stopped to address the Spirit Detective. "I'm doing this as a _favor_ for Koenma. Not only does he realize that I am the best and _only_ authority regarding this forest, but I also do not hold myself above lying." 

She paused, then, "In other words, my word goes." Rahn then sat down and began whittling at a stick with her daggers. 

"That is positively barbaric," Kuwabara winced as he watched the stick struggle fruitlessly in Rahn's firm grasp. The blind guide only shook her head at Kuwabara and promptly cut off the upper section of the stick of which small screams were emitting. Kuwabara cringed as the "head" scurried up to him and made a series of rustling sounds with its' "mouth" and the ran off.

"It said 'thank you'." 

"Oh."

-- --- -- ---- - --

Twilight was spreading across the sky and the atmosphere around the elf campsite was growing energetic. Little elves spent no effort in containing their enthusiasm as they huddled around Rahn and looked excitedly at the four newcomers. Every now and then, one plucked up the courage to make a run at Kuwabara or Kurama. They didn't bother with Yusuke, who was glaring maliciously at them, or Hiei, who tried to bite them whenever they came close enough. 

"Having fun Yusuke? Enjoying the show?" Rahn smirked as Yusuke glared back.

 "No? Well, it gets more entertaining once they get the fire going. Oh you should see it. All those flames… the heat… it sounds positively painful." 

"Hey Rahn, just out of curiosity, what does it feel like to be a selfish murderer?"

"Talk all you want Yusuke, the only words I'm taking notice to are the ones where you admit you were wrong leave me in charge."

"Rahn, I swear—"

"Hey kids!" Rahn turned from Yusuke to the huddle of stumps, "I've got a special treat for whoever will go up and give Mister Yusuke a big kiss!"

"WHAT?! Oh no! Oh no no no no no!" Yusuke wriggled as a chubby and sloppily dressed girl with a pink bow on her head ran up and hugged his leg.       "You little rat! I swear, you kiss that leg and you'll— aw no!" He whined as she puckered up and kissed his knee.

"Aw, Jecki, I think he likes you!" Jecki blushed as she ran back into Rahn's arms to receive her treat. 

"You are cruel, and menacing, and despicable Rahn! Absolutely despicable!" Yusuke shrieked against the rope, failing to notice the little elves obviously thought differently. Some of them anyway; Yusuke noticed with satisfaction that others pulled her hair and gave her small thumps wherever they could reach her.

"Oh I know." She sighed, and looked pitifully at Yusuke. "I'm sorry," she rose from the ground and walked up to him. "I was really rude, I'm sorry Yusuke." She walked around the pole to where the rope was tied. 

"You're forgiven," Yusuke growled. 

"Good," she placed her hands on the rope, "because you're not!" she yanked the ropes where they had been slackening and walked back to her previous post listening to the protests of Yusuke.

-- --- -- --- - --

The sun had set an hour earlier and the elves finally had the fire blazing. The smoke rose in thin stripes up into deep sky where it gathered in a cloud of gray and was whisked away by the wind. Beneath this activity in the sky, the gang of elves danced and pounded their feet into the earth. Around the fire pit they swayed their meal of rabbits and fish Living Forest style cooking over the high flames.

Rahn sat as far from the flames as possible, but still near Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei, who were in her charge until the next morning. The flames taunted her, clouded her "second vision". The heat was spread and it was like she really was blind. If the humans and demons were to decide to make their move to escape now, they would have found themselves very successful. However, the four neglected the opportunity and instead spent the time speaking to one another. Kurama, and Kuwabara trying to convince Yusuke to give up on his pride, Yusuke refusing, and Hiei threatening death if the Spirit Detective did not comply to the demands of their guide. 

"NO! Guys, I am not groveling at the feet of some blind, forest-obsessed, control freak!"

"You will if it means you'll live to see lunch." Rahn sung over the squeaking voices of the elves.

"Shut up!"

"Yusuke," Hiei strained to look at the high-school punk from his position three poles down, "if you don't—" 

"Don't give me those threats Hiei! We'll be out of here soon, and then you'll see—"

"He's right you know. You'll be out of here and down their stomachs in a matter of hours." 

"Stop interrupting!"

"Oh, all right." Rahn said, and then she began to hum a particularly dreary funeral march. 

Yusuke began to growl back a response when Gonf ran away from the feasting with a half-eaten roasted rabbit on a stick. He looked around for Rahn and once he had found her, trotted up and opened his mouth to speak.

"If you aren't getting them out of there within the next two minutes, I want your word that they can't confess and be gone over the night. I have to know what I'm feeding my tribe after all."

"Of course Gonf." She glared at Yusuke, "If he hasn't apologized within two minutes, they're all yours."

"Good, now, I'm getting back to the party! We haven't had a gathering this big for months!" He grinned wildly and scurried back to the festivities.

The next few minutes passed by silently, all negotiations on Kurama' and Kuwabara's part halted. The only activity was an intense "stare"-down between Rahn and Yusuke. 

"Do you really plan to break free when they cut you loose tomorrow morning? Because I can already tell you that they'll drug you until you're hanging directly over that fire."

"Well I guess I don't have much of a choice now, do I? It's been well more than two minutes. 

"Well," she shrugged, "that really remains to be seen. If you'll apologize…" she trailed off. "I hold no remorse for abandoning them. As a matter-of-fact, they've made my life a living hell. Just say the word."

"Alright! All right! I'm sorry! You're in control; I'll listen to you from now on, okay! Just get us out of here before those freaks of nature eat us for breakfast!"

Rahn smirked. "Done." And in a quick slash of her dagger, the prisoners were set loose. "C'mon, follow me," she slipped off into the darkness, and after rubbing their bodies where the bonds had been, Hiei, Kuwabara, Kurama and Yusuke followed. 

-- --- -- --- --

       "So, were you really gonna leave us there to be eaten, Rahn?" Kuwabara demanded.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Rahn shrugged.

"Why not?"

"Huh?" Kuwabara asked, confused.

"It doesn't really matter to me if you die here. I'm doing this on the off chance you can actually beat The Ten."  Rahn stated matter-of-factly.

"What makes you think we can't?" Yusuke asked sourly.

"I know how they operate."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you care?"

"Why can't you just answer my question?"

"I should have left you for the elves! I can't believe I'm stuck with you people for the next three days!"

"About that, why is it gonna take so long?"

"'Cause you can't keep up!"

"Who says?!"

Rahn stopped walking and faced Yusuke. 

"You think you can keep up with me?"

"Yeah!"

In a flash, Rahn was gone. 

"What the-?" Yusuke yelped.

Hiei disappeared as well, though Yusuke was quick enough to realize he'd gone into the trees, jumping from one to another. Kurama soon followed.

"Hey, guys, wait up! HEY!" Yusuke yelled as Kuwabara started to follow.

-- --- -- --- --

Hours later-

Yusuke collapsed onto a dead log in a clearing. The log promptly dumped him on the forest floor. _At least it didn't bite me… _Then log then nibbled Yusuke's hand, and found itself thrown against a tree. Yusuke's shoulder's drooped; the trip had taken a lot out of him.

"I HATE this godforsaken forest!" Yusuke yelled. 

Kuwabara wholeheartedly agreed. However, his mouth had a large bite on it and he couldn't talk. Yusuke thought this was the only good thing that had happened that day. Everyone but Rahn was beat. Even Hiei was breathing hard and looking as if he'd gone through a tough workout.

Rahn leapt from a branch 40 feet in the air and landed in front of Kurama, looking much happier since she hadn't had to travel on the ground.

"Tell me one thing…" Kurama requested breathlessly, "how on earth could you navigate through that so easily?"

Rahn knew he was referring to her nonexistent sight. 

"Practice." she answered indifferently. "Must we stop now?"

Yusuke groaned. 

"You're not human!"

Rahn shrugged and chose a tree to spend the night in.

-- --- -- --- --

  
**A/n ec: **All right, so how'd y'all like it? The next chappy is really an interesting one so look out for it! (BTW: Today would be my b-day so do me a favor and leave a nice big review, 'k? ^_^)

**A/n BW: **That was fun! ^_^


	4. Shielded By Your Own Power

**Blinded By Flames**

--Chapter Three: Shielded By Your Own Power--

           The morning was bright, and Yusuke awoke to a sunbeam warming his face. Remembering the last time he woke up, he glanced around before sitting up and stretching. 

            "Ahhhh… is Rahn gone AGAIN? Geeze, some guide!" Yusuke muttered.

"I _could_ just let you starve Yusuke…" Rahn replied, walking up behind him with a couple of rabbits over her shoulder.

Yusuke suddenly realized he was starving, and he promptly set about making a fire. Rahn tossed the rabbits nonchalantly to Hiei (who scowled at her) and then retreated to her tree. She didn't feel the need to eat. 

-- --- -- --- --

The group set off, once again on the ground, no one feeling the need to travel any faster. Rahn said they'd at least shaved a day off of their trip. She expected them to arrive sometime that night. Kuwabara chose this time to once again foolishly question Rahn about her past. 

"So, how did your parents die?" he asked, oblivious to the fact this might be a tender subject. 

Hiei prepared to kill Kuwabara if he chased their guide off with his stupid questions.

Rahn chose not to answer.

"What, it's not like you killed them, right?"

"I wouldn't be surprised!" Yusuke muttered. 

Rahn rubbed her right hand, which was trembling again. 

"I didn't kill them."

            "So who did?"

"…"

"Oh, come on, you can tell me!"

"…" 

"I'll kill the guy who makes girls suffer like this!"

"…What?" 

"They shouldn't pick on you just 'cause you're weaker than them!"

           Kurama sighed. Rahn's eyes narrowed as Kuwabara continued.

            "Seriously, it's not right! It's not your fault you're weaker than them! They-"

"I'll be right back." Rahn interrupted, fleeing into the trees.

            "What'd I say?" Kuwabara asked, confused.

           "Idiot!" Hiei snapped.

           A few minutes later Rahn returned, her fists full of some kind of herb.

           "Eat this, quick!" she said urgently, stuffing one fistful into Kuwabara's mouth.

            Alarmed, he did as he was told. It was so disgusting that he choked out the first few swabs, but Rahn was always quick to shove another fistful down his throat. Finally, he was successful in swallowing the nasty herb. He tried to ask what was wrong, but no sound came out of his mouth.

"I never really appreciated Silenciurcs until now." Rahn stated, relaxing. "They affect the voice-box. He won't be able to make a sound for hours!" 

           With that, she jumped into the nearest tree and proceeded to travel that way, always keeping in sight of the group.

"I really must remember to ask her about those." Kurama murmured softly.

"Hn." Hiei grunted, pleased.

           Yusuke decided perhaps Rahn had her uses after all. 

-- --- -- --- --

The next day-

           Yusuke awoke to the smell of roasting flesh-eating pigeons. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sat up and looked around. Kurama was overseeing their breakfast, while Rahn whittled a stick nearby. Hiei and Kuwabara were both going through their own little workouts, preparing for a showdown with The Ten.

"So, when do you think we will get there?" Kurama inquired as he turned the makeshift spit. 

"It's an hour's walk from here." Rahn replied, still whittling.

"Hey, I thought you said we'd be there last night!" Yusuke complained.

"I didn't count on Kuwabara insisting we save a soul-eating wildcat from drowning."

"How was I supposed to know?" Kuwabara yelled, stopping his workout.

"If I recall, idiot, she did tell you that you wouldn't want to mess with it." Hiei replied, slicing a tree.

"Watch out!" Rahn called as a branch of the tree crashed to the ground. 

The branch immediately grew legs and arms. A crack near the top opened to reveal long, sharp teeth. It leapt at Hiei, who promptly sliced it into ten or so smaller pieces. Rahn sighed as those pieces also grew arms and legs and mouths, and Hiei ended up chopping them all into splinters before they stopped attacking him. He raised an eyebrow. Kurama, realizing Rahn couldn't see it, asked what had just occurred.

"The trees themselves are harmless. As long as they're rooted into the ground, it's like they're in stasis. But if any part of the tree is disconnected, it develops a mind (kind of) and attacks the nearest thing to it." Rahn explained.

"Uh-huh…" Yusuke muttered, not really able to follow the explanation.

Rahn shook her head and returned to whittling.

-- --- -- --- --

15 minutes later-

"Oh no. I refuse. I utterly refuse to do this!" Yusuke howled.

Rahn sighed, irritated. 

"Just step on the stupid rock, Urameshi!!" she yelled, already on the other side of the rather large gorge that cut the Living Forest in half. 

Hiei and Kurama were forced to agree with Yusuke on this one. Rahn wanted them to step on a rock and _ride_ it to other side of the gorge. Even after seeing her do it, they couldn't quite believe it was possible.

"I've already died once, I'd rather not repeat the experience!" Yusuke bellowed.

Rahn stepped back onto the rock she'd used and hovered back to their side of the gorge. She stomped up to Yusuke and "looked" him in the eye. It was very unnerving because her eyes were so clouded it looked like she had no eyes at all. She grabbed the front of Yusuke's shirt and actually lifted him onto the stone. It immediately started to hover across the gorge and it was soon too late for Yusuke to jump back. Rahn glared at the other three and they all hurriedly got onto their stones. In a few minutes, they were all across the gorge. 

"How is that possible?" Kuwabara demanded of Rahn. 

"Get it through your thick skulls; the forest is alive. As in, a living, breathing thing." Rahn growled. 

Kurama blinked. "Please explain."

Rahn sighed heavily. "This whole forest is an actual creature. The trees, the ground, even the river, are parts of its body. That's why even the sticks are alive; once you separate it from the Living Forest's body, it's like it gave birth to it. All those sticks are capable of becoming another Living Forest should they find a way to leave this one. It would take a couple hundred thousand years, but it would happen. It's also why those stones could move across the gorge. The Forest is rather ticklish there, so whenever you step on a really tender spot (the stones), it transfers you to the other side in hopes of getting rid of the itch." 

"Amazing!" Kurama murmured.

The group resumed their journey. 

"What did you mean, you'd already died once?" Rahn asked Yusuke a few minutes later. 

"I got hit by a car once, trying to keep a little kid from being run over. Koenma was impressed at my heroic deed and gave me my life back." Yusuke responded.

Rahn snorted. "I don't buy it." 

"Hah! Urameshi was considered such a bad guy that when he died saving the kid's life, the Spirit World wasn't prepared for his death and they brought him back to life to make it easier on themselves!" Kuwabara laughed. 

Rahn nodded, satisfied with that answer.

"Yeah, well, I bet you'd never do something like that!" Yusuke grumbled.

Rahn looked away. "In a way, I did…" she murmured, too softly for them to hear (with the exception of Kurama). 

Rahn rubbed the top of her right hand, which was, once again, trembling. It always did that when she was feeling any kind of strong emotion…

--*Flashback*--

_"Ooooh, what's THAT one, Grandma?" a young Rahn asked, wide-eyed, as she stared at her grandmother's large book full of Old English runes. It was a family heirloom, just like the dragon coin that hung around her grandmother's neck._

_A wrinkled hand patted Rahn's shoulder affectionately. "That's the rune for fire, Rahn. Do you know, that's the rune I've always liked the best. My grandfather liked it too. I have an idea! Why don't I give you it as a temporary tattoo?"_

_Rahn nodded enthusiastically. _

_"Where would you like it, dear?" her grandmother asked gently. _

_"Right here!" Rahn smiled, pointing at the back of her right hand. _

_"Okay." Rahn's grandmother replied, getting out the special marker she used for "tattoos". _

_She carefully copied the rune in the book onto her granddaughter's hand. Suddenly, the mark glowed bright red, and Rahn cried out in pain. The glow subsided and revealed the "tattoo", no longer black, but green, outlined in gold. _

_"The family colors!" the old woman gasped, shocked. _

_Rahn looked up at her grandmother, tears running down her chubby little face._

_            "That hurt Grandma! I don't want it anymore!"_

_"Something tells me, Rahn, that you'll be stuck with that for the rest of your life." Her grandmother replied sadly._

--*End Flashback*--

We never were able to get it off… 

--- -- --- --

 "This is where we say good-bye, gentlemen." Rahn told them, alert for signs of danger. She had visibly tensed up after they'd exited the forest.

The field was a large one, several miles long. The Ten's headquarters were in the very middle. Rahn had walked with them until the place had come into sight, and she was anxious to get back to the forest. 

"Good riddance." Yusuke muttered. The rest of them said good-bye in their own ways.

In a flash, Rahn was gone, though not traveling nearly so fast as she could in the forest. 

The gang resumed walking towards the large buildings that were apparently The Ten's headquarters. However, when they got there, there was one small problem. 

"Uh, why is there a line in front of their door?" Yusuke voiced the question they were all pondering. 

"Maybe there are a lot of people who have a grudge against these guys?" Kuwabara suggested. 

"Only one way to find out." Yusuke replied, and they joined the line. 

Eventually they got to the front of the line and found themselves at a desk. The receptionist, a bald green demon in a suit, looked them over in a bored way. 

"Is this your team?" he asked. 

"Huh?" Yusuke started.

"For the tournament. Is this your team for the Juu Tournament? As in, the tournament that The Ten is holding to find the most talented fighters in the demon world? The one where the winners are sent to the human world to carry out whatever tasks The Ten gives them, in between which they are free to do as they please? The one you can only enter if your spirit energy is so strong the shield around this place will not let you pass no matter how hard you try? Work with me here!" the demon snapped. 

"Oh! Uh, yeah, I guess so…" 

"Okay, great. I have right here a miniature shield, like the one surrounding the property." He waved a hand at a doorway next to the desk. "Once you walk through it, if your energy is high enough, you will be unable to walk back through."

"Interesting concept. Never heard of that one before." 

"Do you want to go through it or not?" The demon growled.

"I'm goin', I'm goin'," Yusuke stepped through. 

"Now try to walk back through it," the demon ordered.

Yusuke _did_ try, but was instantly shocked and repelled back. "Ouch! Hey! What was that all—"

"You pass, the rest of the team now,"

Each member walked one by one through the barrier, and each one was denied access back out. 

"Okay, now the next member," 

"This is all we have." 

The demon stared at them with a glare that said, "You made me waste all of that time?! I've been doing this all day you know!" when he finally spoke, it was in a similar tone:

"You need five. Next please!" 

Yusuke was pushed out of the way by a large ogre-like demon.

           The group walked away from the line.

"Now what?" Kuwabara asked.

"There's no way we can fight all these demons to get to The Ten." Yusuke stated. "We need a fifth person." 

"Call up Koenma, maybe he knows what we can do,"

"Alright," Yusuke sighed, and reluctantly brought out a small communicator from his pocket. Snapping the device on, he growled into the speaker, "Hey! Koenma!"

The screen buzzed to life and a scene of ogres and paper airplanes greeted the Spirit Detective. "KOENMA!" Somehow, through all the noise, an ogre heard Yusuke and called everyone's attention to the screen. An orange ogre awoke Koenma from his nap on the desk and pointed to Yusuke.

"What is it? Can't you handle yourself there?"

"Of course we can. Look, it turns out that there is a tournament being held here,"

            "What is it with all the tournaments? Isn't this the third one?" Koenma asked.

            "Yeah, so what? Look, a lot of demons showed up, and we know we can't fight all of them. We're too far out numbered."

            "So enter the tournament. You're good at that."

            "Would you listen?" He screamed.

            "We need a fifth fighter who has enough spirit energy to pass their elimination exam. Its no problem, we all passed. We need a fifth fighter, _soon!_ I think the tournament even starts today."

            "Hmmm… I see your point, I'll someone."

            "Who?"

            "J—" The screen began to get cloudy. "Dang it Yusuke! You didn't recharge the batteries did you?! Now it's going to go out and we can't contact each other any—" The screen stopped.

            "The batteries." Hiei stated. "You forgot about the _batteries?_" 

            "Oh well! He said he would send a fifth fighter, didn't he?"

            "Fine, I guess we'll just wait," 

Just then Rahn stomped by.

"I thought she went back to her precious forest." Hiei muttered.

The obviously enraged girl stomped up to the receptionist, shoving the ogre-demon out of the way. She then grabbed the guy's collar and proceeded to strangle him.

 "WHY THE HECK CAN'T I GET OUT OF THIS STUPID PLACE?!?!" she yelled.

The group exchanged glances.

"I don't believe we'll have to wait much longer." Kurama observed.

**A/n: **Wow, that was a fun one. ^_^ 

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	5. A Life Spent in a Room Pt I

Blinded by Flames

--Chapter Four: Life Spent in a Room I—

"You can't leave until after the tournament is over!" The demon behind the desk choked.

"And _why_ is that?"

"Because of the shield," the answer came in short, suffocating breaths, "it won't let you through if your spirit energy is high enough to compete in the tournament," he gasped.

"Great," Rahn growled, "leave it to The Ten to come up with something that _stupid_ to take place of the elimination rounds. What kind of person wants to keep people _in_ and not _out_?"

Thoroughly disgusted, the blind ex-guide let loose her stranglehold on the poor demon and stood tapping her foot in thought. Her clouded eyes rolled around, unaware of where would be the most humane place to put them.

"Actually, it's really very clever if you think about it. This way, no one can turn chicken and run out on them in the middle of the tournament," the desk clerk said, rubbing his sore neck.

"What did you say?"

"N-nothing!" the demon cowered, "ab-absolutely nothing!"

"I thought so,"

Rahn sighed and walked out of the line a few steps, opening up space for the gruesome ogre behind her. She muttered incoherently for a few moments before snapping at the disgruntled clerk, "Well, move on! There's a line there you know!" and delivered a quick kick to the shins.

The clerk yelped before complying hastily and motioned for the ogre to step through his mini-barrier. Like all others before him, he succeeded in marching through, as he should, but when requested to step back the _other_ way…

He failed. Miserably so. Not only did he walk right on through, but there was even the illusion that the barrier _shoved_ him forward.

He ran into his team members and in a perfect demonstration of the domino effect and all its' glory the line came tumbling down. Toward the middle of the line, there finally came someone with enough sense to jump aside, but they then landed on the team behind them, hence, starting the entire collapse all over again.

Rahn listened with amusement at the groans and pains of the tournament competitors as they struggled to their feet.

With a smirk she asked, "How long will the tournament last?"

"Today, the teams will fight until there are eight teams left. Tomorrow the remaining eight teams compete in one round each. The following day is the semi-finals and three days following are the finals."

Rahn glared. "I believe I asked for a specific amount of time. Do you really expect for me to add all that up?"

"S-se-seven days,"

"Same rules as last year?" She inquired.

The demon nodded, "Have you competed before?"

Rahn contemplated answering the question before declining the right to answer. _Seven days… that's too long. I can't stake out here and wait for the shield to go down for seven days. How long is it until I…? Three days. It happens in three days._

"Rahn," Hiei snapped her out of her reverie.

"Hello boys, having a good time?"

"Actually," Yusuke replied, "we were having a crappy time until you turned up,"

"Oh? And why is that? Do you need me to navigate you through the mansion too?"

"Funny. Very funny. But no. We're short one fighter in the tournament and it doesn't look like we're going to be able to reach the Ten without competing."

"Is that so?" She raised a brow, mocking surprise.

"Koenma is sending us someone as we speak, but it will take them at least a day to show up." Kurama informed her.

"And this would interest me… why?" She asked, knowing full well the answer.

"Rahn… stop playing around. Will you enter with us, or what? You can't get out of here anyway."

"Hmm… good point. But I have some business to attend to."

"Meaning…?"

"_Meaning_ you shouldn't expect me to show up the day of the semi-finals."

"The day of the semi-finals? You want to _ditch us_ the day of the semi-finals? Plan on telling us why?" Yusuke was ecstatic.

"If you shut your mouth I'll consider it," Rahn snapped, then, at the receptionist, "I'll be trying out as Team Urameshi's fifth fighter,"

"I'm sorry, you'll have to go to the end of the li—"

"I'll have to what?" She asked casually.

"You'll have to go right ahead," The demon hurried, learning quickly.

Rahn nodded and walked briskly through the barrier and turned heel to walk back into an invisible wall. She was repelled backward but stopped herself from slamming into Kuwabara with the talent of a person very familiar with being thrown against their will.

"Name," the demon receptionist seemed more at-home with Rahn's new routine.

"Jas Elle Ignalishu," the name was spoken monotonously and without emotion. Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara raised their eyebrows at the name but the clerk merely wrote the name down beneath the title for Team Urameshi. He then tore off a small slip of paper and handed it to Kurama.

"Team Urameshi will be competing in the third round against Team Namu. Your campsite is number 6," he passed to them a yellow form with "6" in bold at the top, "the site is located at the corner of the north and eastern walls," he pointed to a tent behind a large oak tree. "A member from the House will drop by half an hour before your scheduled fighting time. So be sure to meet her or you'll miss your fight." He waved them off, silently praising that he was now rid of the temper-ready Rahn.

"Hey Urameshi,"

"Yeah Kuwabara?"

"Why is it that _you're_ always the team captain, huh? Can't we have the team named after one of _us_ for a change?"

"No,"

"Why?"

"Because that's dumb, _I'm_ the Spirit Detective,"

"You know what Yusuke? Kuwabara's right." Rahn smiled, and swerved back around to the desk.

She tapped the demon clerk on the shoulder. When he looked behind him to see a grinning Rahn, the demon's eyes grew wide and he literally leaped from his chair, pulling hair out from his roots.

"I give up! Give up! Up! Up! Up! It's over with! _Nothing_ is worth this torture!" He screamed and ran helter-skelter from the desk and rounded the corner, shrieking all the while that he quit.

Rahn only shrugged and waited patiently for someone to send out a second clerk.

"I can't believe you actually went and…"

"What in our history together makes you think that I wouldn't?" Rahn laughed at the high school punk.

"_I'm_ the leader, it's _my_ team!"

"Not without me it isn't," She smiled cockily and Yusuke was reminded for an instant of the incident with the "elves". He watched solemnly as Rahn waved the new sheet of paper with "Team Ignalishu" printed in bold letters across the top. Yusuke glared at the offending paper and slid down beneath the tree that sat in the middle of their pre-positioned campsite.

"Why'd you lie about your name, anyway? Or is Jas your real name and 'Rahn' just something you made up?"

"Nope, Rahn is my real name."

"Then what was that bologna back there? 'Jas Elle Ignalishu'?"

"I'm not stupid enough to give them my _real _name,"

"Are you implying that we're stupid?"

"I'm going to assume that was a rhetorical question," Rahn flopped down on a tree branch and closed her eyes.

She would need rest as she neared the day. For some reason she always felt a mix of emotions approaching that time. The one half of her that was to be set "free" became wild and more restless than usual, giddy-like and it was hard for her to control herself. She found herself speaking aloud often. Her other more natural half told her that it was a time to be dreaded and became tense. Either way, the day was approaching and she would have to be careful around the others. At least Rekkone made for an interesting conversation.

"Who's Rekkone?"

Rahn cursed. Hadn't she just reminded her that she talked to herself? And here she was…

"She's… just…"

When Rahn seemed to be unable to provide an answer, Hiei shoved it aside to ask instead why she must be careful.

This answer seemed to escape her just as much as the previous one had, but she managed to stutter out a couple words.

"I'm… a little more… _anxious_. A little… I'm… less of myself and more of… more of… more of someone who is less of me..."

"…?"

"…"

"…?"

"…yeah."

"…sure."

Her steps were brisk and in perfect rhythm. 1… 2… right… left… 1… left… right… 2… on and on and on, a march in complete synchronization with itself.

"Team Ignalishu?" she barked, her diminutive stature as in most cases, a false indicator of her true nature.

Yusuke looked up to see a very young, very short mouse-like demon. She was wearing a military-type uniform, and apparently worked for the Ten Household. "Yeah, we're here,"

She looked down (or rather, _up_) her nose at Yusuke, "you're the team captain, I presume?"

"You'd think so wouldn't you," Yusuke mumbled.

"Hush! I have no time for inner-team arguments. Where is your captain?"

"Up there," he lifted his eyes to the tree where Rahn lay, dozing off on a branch, her head slowly nodding in an invisible conversation.

"YOU!" Rahn stumbled awake, nearly losing her balance on her limb. She "looked" lazily down to the being that dared disturb her slumber, the humanoid mouse demon.

"What do you want?" She growled in much the same tone the demon had used to speak to Yusuke.

"I am Cat, here to inform you that in thirty minutes' time your team will be competing against Team Namu in the ring. Team Namu's captain, Makare, has requested a one-on-one fighting campaign until a team reaches four wins. That team will be announced the winner. Both teams can play the same fighter as many times as they like. Do you agree?" These words were shot out at a machine gun pace. Cat raised a brow, awaiting the answer.

"Tell this _Makare_ that I will _not _agree under such conditions. I want the winning to team to have three wins. The quicker the better. I also do not want any player to fight more than once."

Cat glared. "Now listen here, Captain! If you want to change the rules that means I've got to go back to Team Namu and make sure they agree to it. So just _accept_ the challenge and be done with it!"

This didn't go over too well with Rahn. _No one_ told Rahn what to do.

"You go back there," her words came through clenched teeth, "and tell Makare that we're fighting in three. I don't _care_ if you want to do it or not, you're going to."

Cat didn't budge.

"NOW!" A wind swept toward Cat and threatened to knock her off her feet before she scurried away to the Namu campsite to continue negotiations between the two captains. _I hate these stubborn captain types. It'll take them all day to agree on something!_

Indeed, it threatened to last all day. Word of the conflict between the two captains spread across the grounds like a virus, every five minutes or so someone would run into their camp with the latest news.

"Makare just threw a fireball at Cat, she said that if Jas didn't agree to her conditions she'd come over and do the same to Jas. 'Screw the rulebook' she says."

"Well, I doubt she'll do it, Makare has really wanted to get her team in a competition ever since they lost in the Toriyama Tournament this spring. She won't throw it all away just because some stubborn newbie captain won't cooperate."

It was at this point that Cat scurried past, her mouse-tail and ears singed, confirming the most recent statement of the Ignalishu-Namu affairs. Other messengers for the Ten House laughed as she went by. There was always one team negotiation that didn't go very well at the tournaments, but this year it was really beginning to heat up, the messengers always pitied the one caught up in the team altercations.

"It's okay Cat! It had to happen to somebody!" they jeered.

"Shut up would you?"

Approaching Ignalishu Camp, Cat saw Yusuke glowering at Rahn. "Why can't you just accept her conditions?"

"Yes, why _can't_ you?" Cat panted.

"She's the one who making this so hard on you guys. I can't give up now. I'll look like a fool."

"Well too bad!" Yusuke raged, "This is taking _forever_! It's just plain stupid!"

Rahn smirked. "Tell you what Yusuke, I've got an idea that should end this fairly quickly," then, turning to Cat she tossed her a coin, "give this to Makare. Tell her I'll challenge her in a game of fate."

Cat looked down at the coin in her paw, back to Rahn, and down at the coin again. She rolled her eyes and sighed before setting off in a trot to Namu Camp.

Yusuke was giving a similar reaction, _fate?_ He echoed to himself, entirely nonplussed by it all. "Why…?"

"I happen to know Makare Ishtal, though I doubt she remembers me. She'll take it, she's a firm believer in fate, coming from Erufu no Shima herself."

"Erufu no—?"

"Shima. Trust me, and don't ask."

It seemed Rahn _did_ know Makare, as the once stern now worn Cat announced, "Makare agreed. The coin was tossed pant and you win. We go to three wins,"

Rahn smirked and hopped down from her branch. "Well, I do believe it's time. Let's head out the ring. Show us the way our dear Cat,"

Cat gave a tired glare at Rahn (or Jas, as she believed that she was called) _I can't believe all it took for them to settle that was a **coin toss**! That was the most ridiculous thing I think I've ever done in my entire life._ But she led them to the ring nonetheless…

The stadium roared as Team Ignalishu entered through the gates and the announcer for the tournament called out: "At last! We have our two teams! If the first fighters for each team would please step forward, we can get this thing underway."

"Where is that voice coming from?" Kuwabara looked wildly around the stadium, "it sounds like it's coming from the center of the ring, but I don't see anything."

"How would I know?" Hiei scowled, "I haven't been here any longer than you have."

"It's Sir Charles," Rahn yawned, "he's former champion himself. You can't see him because he's a fly."

"A fly?" eyebrows were raised.

"Yes Yusuke, a _fly_."

"You know what Rahn, you seem to know an awful lot about this place,"

"I should, I lived here."

"You what?!"

Rahn froze.

"I lived _near_ here. You think I don't know my own neighbors? These people only live in the middle of _my_ forest. I keep a close watch."

"Uh huh," Yusuke eyed Rahn carefully.

"I suggest you stop that if you don't want me blowing your brains out," she growled. And then, as if an after-thought, "and don't think I won't."

"Okay, we have Taiki for Team Namu," Sir Charles announced after receiving the information from Makare, "who do we have for Ignalishu?"

"Well…"

"Well what?" Yusuke snapped back at Rahn.

"Who's going?"

"You decide. You're the one who wanted to be team captain."

"Fine, Kuwabara, go."

"WHAT?! Kuwabara can't—"

"I'm captain and I decide," She smirked, "you said so yourself."

"For Team Ignalishu," Yusuke flinched at the team name, "Kuwabara; For Team Namu, Taiki. Please step forward and let the fighting begin!"


	6. A Life Spent in a Room Pt II

Blinded by Flames

--Chapter Four: A Life Spent in a Room II—

ROUND ONE:

Kuwabara vs. Taiki

"Alright! Ready **to** _go_!" Kuwabara skipped jovially into the ring. "I'm gonna show you guys how this is _done_!"

"You're going to show them how to loose? You shouldn't bother, my team will be glad to help them out later. Besides, they look like naturals." A sly voice whispered into Kuwabara's ear before the voice's owner slipped up to the ring.

Taking a swift look at his opponent, Kuwabara jumped. Taiki stood at a diminutive 4' 7", slinky and very relaxed. The demon's clothes reflected the muscular shape underneath as they clung tightly to the pale skin. Robin's egg blue strands of hair whipped around and framed the cat-like face of Taiki.

"It's a girl!"

"Yes, that's what we call them Kuwabara," Yusuke frowned.

"No Urameshi! You don't understand! I can't fight a _girl_!"

"Hey! Watch it carrot top!" Taiki growled.

"Oh no, not this again!" Yusuke moaned, "C'mon Kuwabara, just fight her already!"

"No," Kuwabara said flatly and stepped out of the ring.

"Kuwabara lands outside of the ring! Taiki wins by default. Team Ignalishu, select your next fighter," The announcer roared.

A furious Yusuke rounded on Kuwabara, "Now look what you've done! We're down by one now! Beating all of these demons isn't exactly going to be a picnic you know, we need to win all the fights we can! And you just threw one away!"

"Sorry Urameshi, but you know it goes against my code,"

"Your code?" Rahn, who had been observing the scene unfold in the background, growled, "and just what would that be?"

Kuwabara puffed up his chest; foolishly thinking Rahn would be pleased to hear of his "code". "I never fight women. I find it very un-gentleman-like to shove around a being of lesser skills than my own."

He closed his eyes, expecting at any moment to be breathing in praises from his female teammate. When none came, he peeped his right eye open to the sight of a boiling mad Rahn.

"Jerk!" She mumbled and stormed pass Kuwabara and onto the ring. "Since stuck-up over here is too good for _us_," she looked to Taiki, who also happened to be raging, "_I'll_ be the next fighter."

"No! Ra—Jas! You're not supposed to actually—" Yusuke began.

"For Team Ignalishu, Jas; for Team Namu, Taiki. Let the fighting commence."

"—fight."

ROUND ONE:

Jas vs. Taiki

Kurama patted Yusuke on the back, "Don't worry, I'm sure she can handle herself,"

"Let's hope so,"

Jas and Taiki immediately crouched into fighting stances and began glaring each other down and working their way around the perimeter of the ring.

"Here I come!" Taiki shot off her feet at lightening speed heading for Rahn. It took little time or effort for Rahn to react—she quickly slid over out of Taiki's path, but Taiki was not lagging in a response either. With a gently shift of weight she continued her pursuit of the blind and elusive opponent.

Taiki began nearing, and Rahn, with an almost undetectable smirk—tripped. Hiei and the rest didn't but it for a second, but Taiki's pride made her assume immediately that Rahn had truly faltered and thus she began rounding on her even faster. When she came within inches of Rahn it was only a matter of reaching briefly into her pockets and sliding one of her daggers into Taiki's path.

Though Taiki saw the dagger, she was racing at such a speed and was already so near that she had no time to react and ran head-on to Rahn and her razor sharp blade.

The steel sliced through the air and then shattered as it hit Taiki's rough skin and hard demon body.

Even in her surprise Rahn didn't waste a moment, she flew out of Taiki's path and to the side of the ring. She danced along the edge for a while before safely balancing within the boundaries.

Taiki dusted the broken blade off of her torn shirt and cocked her head, "That was a dirty trick you played… you're faster than I thought,"

"And you're stronger than I thought," replied Rahn, "but," she smirked, "that won't save you,"

"Oh, what is she gonna do _now_?" Yusuke growled, "That girl just broke her daggers and she didn't even flinch! The only way to penetrate that skin in to use Spirit Energy, but Rahn doesn't know how to do that!" he turned his back to the ring, "I'll get the demon girl next—I can't believe we've lost to her _twice_ now!" Then, as an afterthought he glared at Kuwabara. "It's all your fault ya know," he mumbled.

"And Jas wins the round!" sounded the voice of Sir Charles as a teal-green body flew over Yusuke's head.

"Next!" Called Rahn, and Yusuke stared, "what, how did she--?"

Hiei's voice cut through the crowds cheering, "if you'd have been paying more attention instead of underestimating our guide you'd know, wouldn't you?"

Kurama chuckled at the Spirit Detective's face, "she used her spirit energy to create a set of flame daggers. Those daggers were much more effective and, as you can see, harmed Taiki enough so that she fell for longer than the ten seconds."

"But, since when could she use spirit energy?"

"I'm surprised at you, Yusuke, I believe she must have developed the art during her stay in the Forbidden Forest, in the same way she developed may of her traits," Kurama replied in his cool manner.

All the dumbstruck detective cold do was turn around and stare at the victor in the ring. "To think, she could have used her Spirit Energy all this time." He looked at the flame-shaped daggers in Rahn's hands—they were red hot, full and bursting with Spirit Energy. Rahn looked so calm—Yusuke could tell the conjuring of the daggers hadn't been the cause of a brief heightening in Sprit Energy; Rahn was apparently _very_ skilled in controlling the daggers. It was so evident now, her standing there like that. And yet, how had he not seen it before?

Rahn could feel Yusuke's black eyes on her; she ignored the gaze and instead looked to Team Makare, waiting to see who would be her team's next opponent. They came in the form of a six-foot blue-eyed demon in mid-evil garb.

"Yusuke, I think you should let someone else fight this one. The girl looks a little faint."

"Aw, she's not fighting, that's part of the conditions with Maka—"

He froze… the voice behind him… was… Irish?

He turned around, "Jin?"

"Aye, 'tis me," Jin hopped down from his squat position on the arena wall and now stood on level ground with Yusuke.

"What are you doing here?" The delinquent asked.

"Koenma sent me. Said you were minus a fighter. So I's show up and – wouldja believe it? – You've already got one. How'd that happen, eh?"

"Well, we had to get in somehow, she was just supposed to sit on the sidelines and take-up space really. I didn't think she could actually fight next to demons."

Jin laughed, "Well, that went well, didn't it? Haha! No, I'd say you've got yourself a genuine fighter there. Almost better'n me." He continued to chuckle at his "joke".

Yusuke grinned, he was _much_ happier about Jin being their fifth fighter instead of Rahn.

"Are both fighters ready to commence?" asked the booming voice of Sir Charles.

"Hey! Hold up! They can't play the same fighter!" A young woman with long elfish ears, who everyone assumed was Makare, pointed in the general direction of Team Ignalishu.

"Rahn! Get outta there!"

Rahn cast her blind eyes down at Yusuke and, surprisingly, without so much as an insult, obeyed. She hopped down out of the ring and made her way behind Hiei and Kurama, to stand by and watch her team.

"Who will be fighting for Team Ignalishu?"

"Kurama," Rahn licked her lips, she had spent her time in the ring examining their next opponent. She knew the fighter—he was poison specialist. _Not quite as dangerous as some others, but nonetheless, I don't trust anyone but Kurama in the ring with him._

Yusuke looked as if he was about to protest, but one look at the serious expression covering Rahn's face and he changed his mind. Kurama simply walked to the ring, with a slight suspicion in the back of his head that Rahn had chosen him intentionally.

"For Team Ignalishu, Kurama; for Team Namu, Ke. Fighters, begin!"

ROUND ONE:

Kurama vs. Ke

Once Charles had signaled the start of the fight, it seemed Ke had taken his queue. He suddenly stopped looking so sleepy and snapped his pale blue eyes open to look at Kurama.

His gaze didn't linger long, in a flash his ivy body was a blur and it seemed the blur vanished even faster than he did. Standing solitary in the middle of the ring, Kurama was careful to keep his eyes peeled for any pattern in Ke's movements. He knew Ke was trying to frighten him, but he took his opportunity to study the way he carried himself and how he pivoted across the arena. It didn't take long before he knew Ke was not true runner, and that this was only show.

After making this discovery, Kurama waited patiently for Ke to begin his attack, _more than likely from behind_, he thought. But it seemed the words didn't echo through his mind except once before he saw Ke move his arm slightly from behind him. Kurama hardly had time to frown before something hit him right in the face.

It was a formless sap-like substance with odor like wet wood and it stung the eyes he had scarcely time to close. Immediately Kurama heard the sound of wind from his right and knew Ke was flying at him, aiming for a kick. Doing his best to avoid the blow he grabbed threw the sap off his face while stumbling forward. He succeeded in both his efforts, he was no longer blind and still retained no injury; still, Ke had stopped lunging at him and had now laughed,

"Not quick enough,"

Reaching behind him as he had before, his bony hand retrieved another glob and he began throwing it once again at Kurama.

Still unaware of the purpose of the glob, Kurama avoided as many as he could, running around the ring and letting the goo hit the walls of the stadium. While he was running though, something happened, something he couldn't explain: he began to loose sight of what was in front of him… his cheeks became numb, and he couldn't feel the wind on his face. Unable to see, he stumbled, nearly falling out of the ring.

_Now_ he knew what he was up against. Ke was throwing balls of different poisons and he had been hit on the face with one.

From the sidelines, Hiei, Jin, and Yusuke were beginning to pick up on what was going on.

"Dirty trick, running around with poison in his pants pockets," Jin scowled.

"Yeah, well, he must not have much else in there, ya think?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow and Jin cackled. Hiei, though not laughing, seemed amused.

From behind them Rahn was looking on at the battle, waiting expectantly for Kurama to stop running and begin attacking. Shivers went down her back that were totally unrelated to anything in front of her, cold sweet was beginning to tricked from her forehead without any apparent cause.

"Oh," Rahn softly moaned and rubbed her head. Her time was coming soon... for a brief moment the pain in her body consumed her and then, in a shot of pure luck, one of Ke's flying gobs of poison struck her on the neck.

"Whoa! Can you believe that? That one nearly hit me! _Hey! Watch it!_" Yusuke shook his angry fist at Ke. No one noticed that Rahn had slunk to the ground and stopped moving.

Back on the battlefield Kurama was beginning to act at last. His vision was slowly returning to him though he felt half- asleep. Still on the run from the poison and trying desperately not to fall head over heels out of the ring, he reached inside his coat pocket to pull out a single red rose.

"Rose whip!"

Ke's eyes flashed for a moment, turning back to the Toriyama Tournament just half a year before. He had witnessed Kurama use this very same technique on a fellow poison specialist... making perhaps the wisest moment of his carrier, he halted his throwing and tried to get out of the rose whip's reach.

Before the whip had time to crack four times Kurama had slashed Ke's back and had him kneeling on the ground. As Kurama had predicted at the first of the fight: Ke was not a very talented runner; though he was very fast he lacked good technique. For instance, to run like the gazelle in zigzag patterns instead of a straight line.

His hands and back bleeding Ke crumpled into a ball at the edge of the ring and toppled out. A team of medical personnel rushed over with bandages and after receiving word from Makare and Rahn, Sir Charles' voice rang out once more:

"And the scoreboard reads: Namu, 1; Ignalishu, 2. Let the fourth fight, Arinori vs. Yusuke begin!"

ROUND ONE:

Yusuke vs. Arinori

"Alright, time to finish these losers off," Yusuke crouched down into a fighting position, his muscles each tingling in the anticipation of a few hard hits. Impatiently rotating his fingers, he stared down his opponent, Arinori, who was doing much the same.

Red skin and shining ruby eyes summed up all of the being's physical presence. He was the very vision of the devil in outward appearance, two white-hot horns even capped of the top of his tall and gruesome figure.

He stared deep into Yusuke's eyes and then smirked. "Are you ready to _die_, Urameshi?" He asked, and a cold shiver trickled down Yusuke's back... there was something not right with that smile.

Covering up his discomfort, Yusuke tried to reply back just as cockily, "are you?"

"I've always been ready, but I won't fall to _your_ hands. You have five seconds," he held up his hand, "to quit this fight-- or suffer the consequences. One," he ticked off a finger, "two,"

Yusuke snorted, "stop it with the lame 'countdown' gig-- you know that one gets _really _old after awhile. Try being a little original, would ya?"

"Three,"

"C'mon, I'm serious, drop it."

"Four,"

"Would you just shut up?"

Yusuke ran at him, fist pulled back.

"Five,"

Yusuke stopped in mid-stride, frozen in front of Arinori.

_Why can't I move? _

_Because you are weak. _Arinori's voice echoed back in Yusuke's head.

Yusuke's eyes widened in fear. This guy was inside his head!

Arinori's laughter echoed off the walls of Yusuke's mind, _oh yes, I'm in here all right, and there's nothing you can do to get me out. Now, I ask you again Urameshi-- are you ready to die?_

And with another round of cackles Arinori's voice faded out of Yusuke's mind and the real thing came running toward him. His fists hit every piece of Yusuke, the gut, over the back, on his head, to his chest-- anywhere and everywhere but no matter how hard Yusuke tried, he couldn't move. He began to bruise and bleed, his muscles straining from remaining in the same position for so long-- not that he had the ability to relax them.

On the sidelines Rahn was slightly stirring. Her head ached and her body felt like jello, but she could still vaguely sense Yusuke's dilemma. Her body was mere inches from giving out, but she forced herself to reach into her belt pockets and pull out a small wooden instrument... it was her flute. Putting it to her lips she closed her eyes and thought back to the tunes her grandmother had taught her before she died.

_"It is very important that you learn these songs, my dear Rahn."_

_"But why? They're so boring. I want to play the electric guitar-- that'd be _so _cool!"_

_Her grandmother kindly shook her head. "The music you play with this flute isn't just music. It's magic that can heal any wound and cure any sickness. You see here," she took the flute from Rahn's hands, "is all the power you will ever need. The power to calm your nerves, the power to mend a broken heart. Each ailment has a different tune-- learn them all, and no harm can ever befall you that is too great."_

The Melody of Calm-- that would do it, she decided, and instantly began to play.

It didn't take long for the music to take effect, Kuwabara -- who had just moments before been standing on his toes and wringing his hands-- settled down and looked quite content with the way the fight was playing out. Arinori too, stopped berating the Spirit Detective and looked as if punching him was a very foolish thing to do. Yusuke could feel the strain on the muscles in his legs vanish and almost sighed at the way cool breath seemed to wash over the crevices of his mind.

The combined weakness of Arinori and lack of stress to Yusuke seemed to be enough for Yusuke to overpower the mind control. As Yusuke began to move back into a regular standing position, Rahn decided she had done well enough and switched over to a different tune.

Yusuke began to realize that he had regained control over his body and with one menacing glare at the now trembling Arinori, he swung a fist straight into his face.

While Yusuke was at work in the match and as the crowd began to cheer again, Rahn's new tune, the Harmony of Healing, was erasing the effects of the poison and restoring Rahn to normal.

The poison was completely vanquished from her body just in time for her to tuck her flute away and watch Yusuke heave Arinori's bloody carcass out of the ring. She shook her head, but before anyone had noticed she was awake, she fell back into a slumber.

"Alright! Way to go Urameshi!" Kuwabara whooped and punched the air.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," Yusuke grumbled.

"How did you beat the mind control... he was much more powerful than you." Hiei was looking skeptic and incredulistic.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? That I don't have a good mind?"

"If you had one, you'd know, wouldn't you?"

ROUND ONE COMPLETE. TEAM IGNALISHU ADVANCES.

Panting at the exertion his long fight had caused, Yusuke was the first to catch a look at the unconscious Rahn.

"How are we gonna get her back to our site?" Yusuke asked. Casting a breif glance over at Rahn's limp figure Hiei replied dryly, "Yusuke, we have a psychic and a wind master. How do you _think_ we're going to move her?"

Next day....

The velvety night sky lay smooth and unbroken in the heavens; beneath it hundreds of small tents lay sprawled out on the grass within the walls of the Ten mansion. As drawn drew nearer more and more demons began stirring, and by the first crack of dawn's light all of Team Ignalishu, excepting Rahn, were awake and rubbing their eyes.

"I wonder why she isn't up yet," Kuwabara asked, taking a sideways glance at Rahn.

"The poison must still be affecting her. We might have to go look for an antidote if she doesn't wake up soon," Kurama replied.

"Are you kidding?" Yusuke yawned. "Imagine the look on her face when she _did_ wake up and found we had given her _medicine_! 'I can't believe you guys put something so weak as medicine in my body! I was doing perfectly fine without it. I don't need any of your stupid medicines to feel better!'"

A chuckle passed through the group; though it was evident they were still very worried. There was an anxious silence until a course voice cut in from behind them:

"What's this? These lazy bums are awake at this hour? My, my, the world _is_ ending."

It was Genkai.

**A/n: **Okay, it was this chapter that kept the delay for all of Ch.4. It's probably the shortest of the three but if you _must_ know why it took me so long, I want you to look at the content. The _entire_ chapter is fight scenes. I do _not_ specialize in fight scenes. As a matter of fact, I shirk from them. So this chapter was more or less my hell as a writer and I hope you'll forgive me.

Also, I realize I was totally unoriginal in how I described each member from Team Namu, I used the same technique every time, but cut me some slack, there's not a lot of time for waiting around and looking at all the players.

ec


	7. A Life Spent in a Room Pt III

Blinded by Flames

--Chapter Four: A Life Spent in a Room III –

Rahn moaned and rubber her head; the groan was slightly more high-pitched than Rahn's normally growl-like low, but in the dark and empty void there was no one there to notice.

"Where am I?" her dazed (and more feminine) voice echoed out into the nothingness.

"Where are you? Where _are_ you? You don't expect me to believe you don't know, do you?" This incredulistic comment came from a deeper, rounder tone, but one that still seemed as part of Rahn's regular voice.

The two alternative pitches of Rahn carried out a conversation as follows:

High: Rekkone?

Low: Who else?

High: But, there's still another 2 days until the Summer Solstice!

Low: You can't tell Rahn, but I'm rolling my eyes at you right now.

High: Why?

Low: Because, 15 years old and the human child still can't count. What are you in dragon years, again? 160? 180?

High: But, I was so sure...

Low: Just drop it. I've got twelve hours in this room with you and I don't want to spent it arguing over whether or not we're supposed to be here-- because clearly: _we are!_

High: If you say so.

Low: I do.

High: Fine, what would you prefer to talk about?

Low: Ah, a little haughty today, are we? You know, I almost never see that side of you, Rahn.

High: Well, we just left Yusuke and the rest to deal alone at the tournament. I feel like I'm breaking a promise, after all, I said I would compete.

Low: You're too emotional.

High: It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to compromise all my feelings with yours, Rekkone.

Low: It's just as bad for me as it is for you. Would you like some light?

Then, without awaiting a response, a burst of flame erupted from in front of Rahn's vision and her companion, Rekkone, could be clearly seen. Rahn as well was illuminated and the two looked at each other for a while, as they had not seen each other in 3 months. Rahn's appearance had changed from what it had previously been when outside of the room. She was the same height, but she seemed thinner, and though most of her features remained the same, they lacked substance. Her copper hair for instance, was thinner and without the orange highlights. Her clothes hung a bit more off of her limbs, her eyes were wider but lacked that lively spark and her skin was pale.

Rekkone in turn was being examined. Rekkone was lying elongated across the floor, her tail flickered and twitched and her burgundy scales glistened as the flame in front of her flickered. A tail and scales... to no surprise to Rahn who knew Rekkone to be a European-style dragon. Rekkone had golden eyes and a long, round nose with nostrils the size of silver dollars.

When Rahn had finished looking at Rekkone (for Rahn was _looking, _with eyes unclouded and free to see what was around her) she leaned her head back against the wall and looked at her surroundings.

The room was very familiar to her. There were six definite "walls", four standing upright and the other two laying flat -- enclosing the space vertically. Your couldn't tell that any of the six "walls" existed though because they were all black, it was a cube-- a dark room with no door in which the spirits of Rahn and Rekkone came every solstice and equinox.

"I don't want to be here for the rest of my life," the thinner, more feminine Rahn said _sotto voce_.

"Neither of us do, but we don't have a choice. We're bound together." Rekkone replied before closing her eyes and resting her large head on her crossed forelegs.

"You've been unable to move in your real body for months and the first thing you're gonna do when we finally separate is take a nap?"

"Well," Rekkone pried an eyes open to glare at Rahn, "given this opportunity under different circumstances I no doubt would thoroughly enjoy the freedom from your blasted human body but seeing as I'm stuck in this room with _you_ -- I find this is putting my time to _-much- _better use."

Rahn lowered her eyes, "Do you think that -I'm- enjoying this? It's -your- fault we're in this situation!"

Rekkone's thin temper snapped in two--

"Now you listen here you foul and disgusting homo sapien! -I'm- the one who has kept you alive for so long after your family died. I -suggest- you are kind to your savior. Without me, you'd be -nothing-! You hear?!! _Nothing!_"

"If you weren't such and egocentric, ignorant, treasure-seeking dragon then my family wouldn't have died in the first place! I would be living a perfectly normal life with my mom and dad and brother, and all my friends! Everything was perfect until _you_ showed up to get your pathetic _power! _So if you're looking for pity, go somewhere else: WE'RE CLOSED!"

"Why you little--" Rekkone fumed and rose to her feet, meeting Rahn's fiery glare. "You wouldn't be leading a normal life and you know it! If I hadn't of come then someone else would! The Ten-- and you wouldn't have had me to save you when they came. No matter how you look at it, your fate always pointed to you as Bonded. Don't blame me for the cards destiny left you!"

Rahn could see all the possible ways the dragon could tear apart her own fragile limbs and roast her human flesh with the heat of her hellish flame in Rekkone's eyes, the images flashing across the deep, dark iris'. Inside, Rahn began to shake.

Smoke drifted out of Rekkone's nostril, "You're wishing you were bonded right now, aren't you? You're wishing because -I- am the reason you have no fear. -I- am the reason the powerful bow at your feet and awe at your skills. -I- am the reason a weakling like you can stand toe to toe with the devil and never blink! Do you understand?

"Of course you do, now back down. You can't maintain -my- temper and strength without me there to guide you."

"That's a lie and you know it!" Rahn shot back. "Maybe I'm not as strong as you, but I've got a will-power that got me through 15 years with you. I can hold my own ground, I don't need an ego-obsessed dragon to _'guide' _me." Rahn stood still a moment, and in an act so unlike the one Yusuke would expect of her, she cast down her eyes and numbly sank against the black wall in defeat.

"You are _not_ strong. You _are_ weak. Accept it." Rekkone hissed.

"If you knew what I've been through--"

"I _do _know! That's part of this cursed deal we've made!"

"_You_ made."

Rekkone glared. "Alright, _I _made. But that's still part of it. We've seen each other in ways no one else could. Our lives met, were twisted together and now appear as if they have always been one. WE can't escape that. So you should just stop trying."

Rahn looked up from her downcast gaze to grin at Rekkone. "After living my lifetime with you, I've forgotten how to give up."

Rekkone smiled.

The conversation that passed between Rahn and Rekkone every 3 months was often fueled by penned-up anger and unreleased emotions. The reason for this is clear if you know the history of the unlikely companions.

It begins 15 years prior to the Juu tournament, when a young, seemingly normal baby was born to the Riley family. For the first few months of her life, Rahn Riley was a crying, restless baby girl just like any other. When she was about 10 months old however, the event that spawned a lifetime of difficulties snuck its' way into her life.

The Riley's baby had been born with a high fire-spirit concentration that gave her massive potential if her dormant power was ever harnessed. At the same time, in the world of the dragons, Rekkone, a multiple century-old fire breather heard the legend of the Bondage.

The legend was one created thousands of years ago and it told of when a dragon could magnify its' power 100 fold if it took the soul of a human. It couldn't just be _any_ human of course, it had to be a _special_ human with unnatural spiritual and elemental powers that where related to the dragons'. A fire dragon with a fire-spirit, an ice dragon with an ice-spirit, a wind dragon with a wind-spirit, ect.

Rekkone, though several hundred years old, was considered youthful and thus naive. She thought that in this deal of Bondage between the dragon and the human, the dragon would assume all power and the human simply became a sub-conscious that eventually faded away. Enticed, intrigued, and lusting for this great power Rekkone escaped to the human world to find a human that would suit her purposes.

As it turned out, very few humans had any high spiritual energy at all, and to find one with an _elemental _gift and Rekkone's same firepower was a chance unlikely.

Unlikely but still possible.

A child, 10 months old-- and Rekkone had found her. At night when the child was sleeping Rekkone slipped her spirit into the child's mind to try and capture the radiant flame that made the baby so unusual.

"How do I do this thing, anyway?" Rekkone muttered to herself.

"Ghee?" The child's mind questioned the strange voice it was hearing.

Rekkone chuckled, "You don't mind if I take your soul, do you?"

"Abashi gomeh noppe too giban ishef." The baby gurgled.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," and Rekkone weaved herself into the child's spirit, expecting unfathomable power as soon as the two were bonded. Rahn's innocent baby mind did little to protest as the two spirits intertwined.

As fate would have it, Rekkone's interpretation of the legend was incorrect. Rekkone, instead of being the dominant mind and body in the newly formed relationship became the _dormant_ spirit, _not_ her human counterpart.

A decade passes with the dragon lying asleep within Rahn Riley. She never knew of Rekkone's presence within herself, only that she was strangely attracted to fire and constantly felt the burning of her own skin -- as if a fire was eating her up from the inside. She eventually grew accustomed to this burning however, and it wasn't long before pain was just another aspect of her life.

This blissful ignorance did not last long and in the years, months, and days leading up to her thirteenth birthday Rahn felt the burning of her skin increase in its' intensity and those close to her noticed an extreme flare of her temper. Rahn was "coming of age" and in accordance to the legend, she would soon be old and responsible enough to handle the fate of sharing a body with a dragon.

When the switch had been made, and Rekkone was no longer dormant, the difference was minimal. Rahn seemed more muscular, more fit, and her personality was cockier, but everyone mistook it to be "teenage years". It wasn't until her first equinox with Rekkone as an awake spirit that Rahn even realized what had happened. She had passed out in the middle of dinner and awoken in the same black room that she was in now. It was there that Rekkone explained all that had happened.

At first disbelieving, Rahn was convinced when she reawoke in her room and felt the insignia on her right hand. In that moment, everything made sense.

Rahn continued her life, now always hearing the voice and feeling the emotions as Rekkone looked out into Rahn's world and commented. It was a difficult experience, but one she thought she could live with. After all, Rekkone had her advantages-- it made her more athletic, she had much keener senses including an ability so near foresight it became frightening. Rahn took it almost casually, as if this was just the way the world worked. Things looked as if they could be interesting, but never harsh when there came a day walking home from school that Rahn and Rekkone lifted their single nose to smell the distinct odor of smoke.

Rushing their way to the fire, Rahn turned a final corner to see her own home raging in flames. The wall to her bedroom was burned down and the roof of the house was crumbling. Surrounding the building was a team of firemen and interested neighbors, the firemen doing their duty and spraying water furiously at the rising flames.

Panicked, Rahn hurried her run with tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She flung herself at the nearest fireman and asked him breathlessly, "did everyone get out okay?"

The man looked sadly down at her and pointed over to behind the fire truck where two corpses lay next to each other, each being zipped into a bag that would be sent to have an autopsy.

Rahn didn't even have to look at their faces, Rekkone's instincts told her they were her parents and that they were really gone. At that point, fire sirens blaring, children crying and firemen hollering, the dam holding up an ocean of tears cracked and out tumbled all Rahn had inside of her.

Any moments following that remained hazy to Rahn, all she knew was that she had been ushered away by some adults and taken to the orphanage.

However, her first night at the orphanage proved to be her last as in the middle of the night a voice whispered from the doorway, calling her name. She crept out of bed and met face-to-face with a man in his mid-thirties. He was wearing a pin-stripped suit and his black hair was slicked back.

"What is it?" Rahn asked, slightly frightened by the vibe she and Rekkone were sensing. _I don't like him._ Rekkone hissed inside of her. _I don't either, _Rahn answered back.

Suddenly, the man's at first kind face changed to a serious expression that sent a chill up Rahn's spine.

"If you want to see your brother again you'll come with me and you won't make a sound."

Already cold by the man's face and aura, Rahn was frozen at these words. Her brother's body had not been found in the remains of the burned house and there was speculation about whether or not he had actually been at home. _Don't do it, Rahn. _Rekkone spoke to her, _he wants to hurt you. I can feel it. _

_I know that. _Rahn replied, _but I can't just -not- go. My brother! _

The man now began to glare at Rahn, "Do you want him to die? Come with me!"

Ignoring Rekkone's protests, Rahn nodded her head and proceeded to follow the man silently down the hall and out the building. They entered his limo and began to drive.

The drive to the mansion was a hazy one, and not well remembered. Rahn could hardly recall stepping out of the car and into the warm, cozy entrance room. It was well past 4 am and Rahn had not slept for several hours. Exhausted, she plopped onto the bed that had been provided for her and listened vaguely as she heard a butler say, "the masters will talk to you about your brother later. Rest for now." She complied and drifted into a fitful sleep.

As the following days would show the "masters", or the Ten had no interest in returning Rahn's brother to her at all, just as Rekkone had predicted. They were instead using his fate as bribe, forcing Rahn to fight and "teaching" her how to use her spirit energy. Rahn was thrown into room and made to fight for her life against demons and the like. Eventually, Rahn learned several hundreds of techniques, all involving harnessing the combined abilities of Rekkone and herself. It was a tiring, rigorous, and torturing life. If she ever wanted to quick her brother's life was dangled in front of her. In the end, Rahn began to doubt whether or not the Ten even _had_ her brother or if they were just pretending.

But after a miserable year and a half locked away in the mansion Rahn managed to escape thanks to Rekkone.

It was in her escape that she lost her sight.


End file.
